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New York Times, Tuesday, December 16, 2025

December 17, 2025

By Jason Reich • 78 Clues

Across Clues

1. Library acquisition → BOOK

5. Insta and Snap → APPS

9. Start → BEGIN

14. Roughly equivalent (to) → AKIN

15. Homie → BRAH

16. Maine-to-Florida hwy. → USONE

17. What shares a key with "(" on a keyboard → NINE

18. Reason to buy a magazine, perhaps → COVERSTORY

20. Hockey feints → DEKES

22. Like someone who knows everything about a niche subject, maybe → GEEKY

23. Prefix with cache or tag → GEO

24. Person in hot pants? → LIAR

26. Name on a prestigious award → NOBEL

28. It may be blond or pale → ALE

31. Disgusting → GROSS

33. C-suite types → EXECS

36. Last stop before security, often → BAGCHECK

38. Words of communal support → WECARE

39. Texter's "Then again ..." → OTOH

40. Groundbreaking 1988 Japanese animated action film → AKIRA

42. Orchestra-tuning instrument → OBOE

43. Negligent → REMISS

45. Turnabout, they say → FAIRPLAY

47. Tiny amount → TRACE

48. Pay taxes via the internet → EFILE

49. Air traveler's info → ETA

50. Drinks served at fountains → SODAS

52. Govt. IDs → SSNS

54. Down Under land: Abbr. → AUS

56. Computer acronym since the 1960s → ASCII

58. Inventor Nikola → TESLA

62. The IBM Simon Personal Communicator is considered the world's first one → SMARTPHONE

65. Couple, in gossip → ITEM

66. "Aw, shucks!" → OHGEE

67. Decorative pitcher → EWER

68. Wacky → ZANY

69. Lords' lands → FIEFS

70. Tells (on) → RATS

71. After 1-Across, shelf accessories ... or what can be placed "around" the halves of 18-, 36-, 45- and 62-Across to make new phrases? → ENDS

Down Clues

1. Genesis or Yes → BAND

2. Many a character in "The Grapes of Wrath" → OKIE

3. Barnyard sound → OINK

4. Prepare to be knighted → KNEEL

5. Epitome of simplicity → ABC

6. Genre for Genesis or Yes, informally → PROGROCK

7. Lead (the way) → PAVE

8. Glossy finishes → SHEENS

9. Active and enthusiastic sort → BUSYBEE

10. Approx. → EST

11. Easily found on the internet, say → GOOGLEABLE

12. Memo heading → INRE

13. Grammy-winning R&B artist whose stage name is said to have been inspired by "The Matrix" → NEYO

19. Golden Age studio known for many Astaire/Rogers films → RKO

21. You might heave a big one → SIGH

25. Places → AREAS

27. Mike in "Breaking Bad," for example → EXCOP

28. Cancel, as a space launch → ABORT

29. Procrastinator's mantra → LATER

30. What someone seeking validation might need → EGOMASSAGE

32. Shallow boat with a square stern → SKIFF

34. Neighbor of a Slovene → CROAT

35. "Take it easy!" → SEEYA

37. Brother to Groucho → CHICO

38. Mournful cries → WAILS

41. One in a box at the theater? → RAISINET

44. Tranquilizes → SEDATES

46. Penalty in Monopoly → RENT

48. Artist known for his "impossible staircases" → ESCHER

51. Symbol of divine authority in hieroglyphics → ASP

53. Grab control of → SEIZE

54. Words before a date → ASOF

55. Tentative greeting → UMHI

57. The Hawkeye State → IOWA

59. Show extreme fandom for, in slang → STAN

60. Give temporarily → LEND

61. Ryan and Adams of Hollywood → AMYS

63. Whistle blower or flag thrower → REF

64. Hosp. hot spots → ERS